Chicago Rose has Tuam roots

By TOM GILMORE THE Chicago Rose in this year's Rose of Tralee competition will have plenty of support from North Galway, as Siobhan Carroll's father is former Tuam native and well-known singer from the showband era, Frankie Carroll from Weir Road, Tuam.[private] She was crowned the 2011 Rose in a ceremony at the Irish American Heritage Center that was the highlight of the St. Patrick's Day festivities in the city. Siobhan has many connections in the county and especially in Tuam and Headford. Her dad, Tuam-born showband star, Frankie, played and sang for many years with Brendan Bowyer and the Big 8 showband in Ireland and Las Vegas. Before becoming a full-time singer and musician he was a member of the staff of The Tuam Herald. Siobhan will also have support from Waterford, as her mother Deirdre is from that city, and her grandmother, aunts and cousins still live in the Waterford area. Siobhan was born in Las Vegas and moved to the Chicago area when her parents decided to settle there. She has been a regular visitor to Tuam and Headford, where her grandmother Julia Carroll, formerly Weir Road, Tuam lives at Lough Corrib Nursing Home, Kilbeg. Siobhan also has many cousins and other relatives in the area. Her grandmother, who is hale and hearty and now in her 90s, is delighted with Siobhan's success. As well as receiving many gifts from sponsors on the night she was crowned as Chicago Rose, Siobhan has also won an all expenses paid trip to Ireland in June where she will compete with other US, Canadian and British Roses for the opportunity to move on to the grand finals in Tralee in August.[/private]